Relay



NOV. 16, 1948. H 2,454,060

RELAY Filed Sept. 16, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 23 INSl/Lfl I INVENTOR LOUISHEGY A T TQR/VE Y L. HEGY RELAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 16, 1944 Ym M ME 0 w w M M M M m S A T W W l A .I A M U M M M L U 0 S M 0 U S L mN a s w a 4 w w 5 99 v 22 3 B 2 Patented Nov. 16, 1948 RELAY Louis Hegy,Burbank, Calm, asoignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, South Bend, hit.a corporation of Delaware Application September 16, 1944, Serial No.554,503 I 2 Claims. (Cl. zoo-a7) This invention relates to relays of theelectromagnetic type. I

An object of the invention is to provide a compact relay of convenientshape.

Another object is to provide a relay that is sensitive, reliable'inoperation, and relatively immune to vibration.

Still another object is to provide a relay design that is adapted foreconomical manufacture and in which the number and arrangement of thecontacts can be readily varied to meet different requirements.

Briefly, the invention consists of a relay substantially all parts ofwhich are enclosed in a cylindrical case of paramagnetic materialconstituting a portion of the magnetic circuit of the relay and alsoconstituting the frame for directly supporting the winding, core,armature, contact elements, and terminal connections of the relay.

A full understanding of the invention and the manner in which theforegoing objects, together with other more specific objects andfeatures, are achieved, will become apparent from the following detaileddescription with reference to the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through one embodiment of the relay andFig. 2 is an exploded view showing various elements of the relay inperspective.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the relay therein disclosed comprises acasing ill of iron or other paramagnetic material which constitutes theframe for supporting all the other elements of the relay and alsoconstitutes a portion of the magnetic circuit. It is preferably ofcylindrical shape and includes an upper section i I of relatively smalldiameter and a lower section i2 which may be shorter but is of largerdiameter. The upper end H is closed by an integrally formed end wall i3,and the two sections Ii and I2 are interconnected by a transverseannular wall H.

Centrally disposed within the upper section of the case and secured tothe end wall I3 is a cylindrical core member 15 of paramagneticmaterial, and a winding I6 is interposed between the core i and thecasing wall H. The winding may be additionally insulated from thecore'member IS, the end wall l3, and the side wall i l, by insulatingWalls l1, l8, and I9 respectively. A washer 20 dimensioned to fit snuglywithin the insulating 2 I wall i9 and around the core member I! may beprovided at the lower end or the winding.

There is secured to the lower end oi the core' I! a pole piece 2i ofparamagnetic material having a pole face 22 offset from the axis of therelay and perpendicular to the axis. This pole piece cooperates with anarmature 23 of paramagnetic material which is pivotally supported nearits center of gravity by a pin 24 from a tongue 25 of anarmature-supporting element of paramagnetic material, the tongue 25extending radially inwardly from an annular base section 28 which has anupper surface fitting against the inner surface of the annular wall orshoulder i4 and has a peripheral surface corresponding in shape to thatof the inner surface of the large cylindrical casing section i2. A thinwall 21 of insulating material such as paper or plastic is provided asan insulating lining for the large section l2. It will be observed thatthe armature 23 has a slot 23a provided therein for the entry of the endof the supporting tongue 25, the end of which is turned upwardly so thatthe transverse plane of the pivot pin 24 is positioned above the uppersurface of the base portion 26 of the armature-supporting element. Theend of the armature 23 opposite that end juxtaposed to the pole face 22has secured thereto a pin 23b, preferably of insulating material, whiehprojects down through a hole 25b in the tongue 25 into engagement with acontact to be actuated thereby.

A contact assembly is positioned immediately below thearmature-supporting element and comprises a plurality of insulatingwashers 28 and three contact elements 29, 30, and 3| (-Fig. 2) arrangedin a stack between the insulating washers. Each contact element consistsof a base portion 29a, 30a, or 3la, as the case may be, and an inwardlyextending tongue 29b, 301), or 3lb, as the case may be, and also has ashort inwardly extending soldering lug 29c, 300, or 3lc. It will beobserved from inspection of Fig. 1 that the contact tongue 30b is longerthan the tongues 29b and 3ib so that it extends therebeyond into thepath of the actuating pin 23?) of the armature. As shown in Fig. 1, thewinding i6 is energized, and the right end of the armature 23 is drawnagainst the pole face 22, in which position the pin 23b has moveddownwardly to carry the tongue 301) against the contact 3 lb. Thecontact tongues are of spring metal so that when the winding id isde-energized, the restoring force of the tongue 30!) will carry it outof contact with the tongue bib and into contact with the tongue 28?,rocking the pin 23b and the armature 33 clockwise in so doing. Movementof .the armature 2d away from the pole piece 22 is preferably limited bya stop which is constituted by the upturned end of a tongue 32b of astop member 32 (Fig. 2) having an annular base portion 32a correspondingin general dimensions to the insulating washero 2d and stacked betweenthe uppermost of'thc washers 28 and the base portion 26 or the armaturesupportlng ele ment.

A lower end wall 35 is provided to form a closure for the case Hi. Inaddition, it functions to compress the contact assembly and thearmature-supconnected into the contact lugs and brought out through thehollow terminals 38 prior to placing oi the end wall 35 in position;thereafter the wires are cut oil at the tips of the prongs 38 andsoldered in accordance with standard radio tube practice.

Although for the purpose of explaining the invention one particularembodiment thereof has been described in substantial detail, numerousporting element against shoulder id and provide terminal connections tothe exterior for the contacts and the winding of the relay. Thus, theend wall is preferably formed with contact pins 38 and a central guidemember 3'! corresponding in shape to a standard radio tube base, so thatthe relay can be mechanically supported and connections completedthereto by inserting it in a standard radio socket. The various pins 36are connected to the contacts by flexible wires extending to thesoldering lugs 28c, 30c, and Me and by extending the lead wires from thewinding is t a pair of the pins 38.

The end closure member may be secured in place in accordance withstandard radio tube practice by indenting the lower edge of thecylindrical'section l2 into recesses provided therefor at suitableintervals around the end wall 35 as indicated at 38.

To facilitate alignment of the elements supported within the enlargedsection 92 of the case with each other and with the pole face 22, a pin39 may be extended through the-shoulder I I and through the armaturebase 26 and the rest of the elements in the contact stack. The pin 38 issurrounded by an insulating bushing 38a so that it will not shortcircuit the contact elements.

The particular arrangement of contacts shown in the drawings is only oneof many that can be employed, since a larger or a smaller number ofcontacts may be employed-according to the requirements of the relay.When a larger number of contacts are employed, the insulating washers 28may be made thinner or fewer in number to compensate for the additionalcontacts employed, or the lower section l2 of the case can be madelonger. The'armature 23 is preferably dynamically balanced so that it isrelatively insensitive to vibration or sudden movements such as mayoccur when the relay is employed on a moving vehicle or the like. a a

. The relay is relatively sensitive for its size and weight because ofthe fact that the outer casing functions not only as a supporting frame,but also as a portion of the magnetic circuit of low reluctance. It willbe observed that the contact area between the upper face of thearmaturesupporting element 28 and the lower face of the shoulder ll ofthe case is relatively large, insuring low reluctance at this point.Furthermore, the reluctance of the magnetic path between the armature 23and the supporting tongue 25 is relatively low. The sensitivity of therelay can be increased by employing special magnetic materials such aspermalloys for constructing the 7 changes can be made from the exactconstruction shown without departing from the invention. As an exampleof changes that can be made, it is not necessary that the case 10 or allportions thereof be made of circular cross-sectional shape. It may bedesirable in some instances to make at least the lower portion ofnon-circular shape to prevent rotation of the parts mounted therewithinwithout resorting to the use of the guide pin 38.

I claim:

1. An electrical relay comprising: a cup-shaped casing containing in theclosed end thereof an actuating winding; means including a movablearmature constituting a magnetic circuit for said winding; and a contactassembly for actuation by said armature, said contact assemblycomprising a plurality of contact elements each having a parametrlcallycontinuous base portion fitting within and transversely supported bysaid casing, and insulator elements interposed between and correspondingin shape to the said base portions of said contact elements and fittingwithin and transversely supported by said casing. and means compressingsaid contact and insulator elements together within said casing.

2. An electrical relay comprising: a cup-shaped casing of paramagneticmaterial containing a paramagnetic core member secured to the closed endof the casing; an actuating winding within said casing and surroundingsaid c'ore member the core member extending completely through saidwinding and having a pole piece exterior of said winding; an armatureassembly including a pivoted armature in cooperative relation with saidcore member andfcasing for movement in response to energlzation of saidwinding; said armature assembly including an armature-supporting elementof paramagnetic material fitting within and of the same parametric shapeand dimension as the parametric shape and dimension of the interiorsurface of said casing whereby said armature assembly is mechanicallysupported by said casing against transverse movement and completes amagnetic circuit of low reluctance between said armature and casing; acontact assembly comprising contact elements each having parametricallycontinuous base portions fitting within and transversely supported bysaid casing and insulator elements stacked with said contact elementsand corresponding in shape to the base portions of said contact elementsand fitting within and transversely supported by said casing; a shoulderintegral with said casing against which the end of saidarmature-supporting element rests; and means compressing saidarmature-supporting element, the base portions of said contact elements,and said insulator elements in a single stack against said shoulder andlongitudinally supporting all said elements con- 5 stitutina Said stackin desired lonaitudinaily ar- REFERENCES CITED ranged relation to eachher; said The following references are of record in the prising a firstsection of uniform cross section adjacent the closed end and containingsaid windme of this patent ing, and a second section of uniform crosssection 5 UNITED 51mm PATENTS larger than the cross section of saidfirst section Number Name t and containing said armature assembly andsaid 3 5 g h July 7, 1903 contact assembly, said casing including atrans- 303 334 od Jan. 2, 1906 verse wall interconnecting said first andsecond 1,034,583 cavanagh Aug. 5, 912;

sections and constituting said shoulder against 1 1,94 ,240 art 1, Jan,9, 1934i which said armature-supportinz element rests. 2,009,393 LeeceJuly 30, 1935 2,040,919 Caldwell May 19, 1936 IDUIB HEGY- 2,369,831Baker Feb.13, 1945

